WHITEHALL — Traveling on bumpy dirt roads is a way of life for many in Montana, but dozens of residents in a remote neighborhood south of Whitehall are feeling frustrated that they will no longer receive packages at their doorsteps from UPS.
The global shipping giant recently notified residents of this remote area that they would no longer receive packages due to the quality of their road and the theft of a drop box that was placed near federal mailboxes.
"At this point, I feel like I should be on UPS’s payroll. Now we’re required to drive over Homestake to get our packages, you know, and a lot of times, we do pay for shipping," says Cathy Sherman.
UPS has stopped delivering to residents south of Whitehall due to road conditions, affecting people who rely on medication deliveries:
As snow recently fell lightly on Homestake Pass, Sherman and her daughter made the 90-minute round trip to pick up a package in Butte.
She is one of dozens who live in a remote neighborhood just south of Whitehall, where Silver Bow, Madison, and Jefferson Counties intersect.
Neighbors gathered for coffee in one of the homes on Jackrabbit Lane say they haven't heard anything official from the shipping giant regarding why their route was suddenly dropped.
One neighbor produced an unofficial letter that isn't signed and does not have official letterhead.
"We get an email that a package is out for delivery, and then we go on the UPS tracking app, and it says this service is no longer available in your area," says Craig Demby.
His wife scrolls through several notifications like this on her phone.
"There was no notification to us, at least nothing formal. It’s all been through gossip chains."
Demby says that’s a problem for some people who receive medicine by mail and for some business owners. He worries about refrigerated medicine deliveries that don’t make it to his home.
"One of the things that we receive through UPS is medication, especially refrigerated medication. If it’s not received timely manner, that medication goes bad. On top of which, if someone has a medical condition where they’re relying on their medication being delivered to them and they don’t get it, now what happens to those people?"
A dozen neighbors crowded into his living room, shared stories about falling into the massive bin that was recently used as a package drop-off until it was stolen. Some shared stories about the lid whacking them on the head as they dug around looking for their items.
"I probably go up and down this lane four or five times a day," says Jami Redfield, who owns a mobile coffee company.
She doesn't buy the rumor she heard that the road is unsuitable, adding that the condition of the road doesn’t impact the expensive equipment she hauls, but not receiving specialty items for her business has impacted her small business that serves communities across the state, year-round.
"I have to turn down jobs if I get them because I don’t have what I need. So, I lose money. It hurts my business."
"If a billion-dollar corporation can’t be bothered to deliver to our road. It makes me feel like we are up... Like we are Jack and the Beanstalk. We are fighting a giant who doesn’t care."
UPS issued the following statement to MTN:
"The safety of our employees and the communities we serve is our top priority. We regret that we are unable to deliver to Jackrabbit Lane. The single-track road is unsafe for our vehicles, especially in winter conditions, with no turnaround point. With the theft of the UPS-supplied drop box, there is no place for us to securely deliver packages."
